Rush is not a gay drug, as some think, but lots of gay guys use Rush during sex. Rush works for gays just like it does for straights, but gay guys especially like the fact that good poppers help loosen up their sphincter, so making anal intercourse easier.

Beware of Side Effects

The euphoric effect is much the same as being high. Common side effects include headaches, shortness of breath, irregular and/or fast heartbeat, and occasional loss of erection (due to the blood pressure drop).

The headaches are most common side effect, and can result from the odor of the specific formula in a given popper jar, or can result from an overdose. Taking more than 6 hits in a short time (1-2 minutes), or a lot of hits over a long period of time (there is a popper video that has you take something like 60 hits in 15 minutes) are likely to cause this. The duration, severity, and odds of the headaches happening at all are entirely variable from user to user, and even from formula to formula. Nausea is possible, but seems to be extremely uncommon unless you’ve got a very old batch of poppers.

There is no known physical addictive property to poppers

Psychological addiction – like pretty much ANYTHING that feels good – is certainly possible. There are no confirmed long-term side effects; there was a study that linked poppers with an increased risk of HIV, but that was because popper users wanted anal sex more often, and so therefore were more likely to catch the disease than the general population. Correlation, not causation.

ACTUAL DANGERS

These chemicals are flammable. No, really. REALLY flammable. Do not smoke anywhere near them. They can cause chemical burns. The greater the oxidization of the active ingredient, the more potent the burn can become. Ensure that you don’t get this stuff on your skin (especially the rim of your nostril). For god’s sake don’t drink it.

Proper Storage

Poppers should be stored in a dark, cool (not freezing) environment. Once opened, a chemical reaction with oxygen will occur, breaking down the active ingredient and creating a distinctive odor likened to old socks. This will cause the popper to lose effectiveness over time. If used a couple times a week (12-24 hits per session, taking a couple of hits at a time and recapping), and properly stored, a 10mL popper jar will last approximately a month. Six weeks at the outside. More frequent use, improper storage, or failure to recap the jar will kill the popper in a matter of days.